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• northwest
  northwest

  noun

  a point on the compass midway between north and west. NW
• Northwest
  Northwest

  noun

  the northwestern part of England, esp Lancashire and the Lake District

northwest

American  

[nawrth-west, nawr-west] / ˌnɔrθˈwɛst, ˌnɔrˈwɛst /

noun

1. a point on the compass midway between north and west. NW

2. a region in this direction.

3. the Northwest,

   1. the northwestern part of the United States, especially Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

   2. the northwestern part of the United States when its western boundary was the Mississippi River.

   3. the northwestern part of Canada.

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adjective

1. coming from the northwest.

   a northwest wind.

2. directed toward the northwest.

   sailing a northwest course.

adverb

1. from the northwest.

2. toward the northwest.

   sailing northwest.

northwest ¹ British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈwɛst, ˌnɔːˈwɛst /

noun

1. the point of the compass or direction midway between north and west, 315° clockwise from north

2. (often capital) any area lying in or towards this direction

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adjective

1. (sometimes capital) of or denoting the northwestern part of a specified country, area, etc

   northwest Greenland

adjective

1. in, to, towards, or (esp of the wind) from the northwest

Northwest ² British  

/ ˌnɔːθˈwɛst /

noun

1. the northwestern part of England, esp Lancashire and the Lake District

2. the northwestern part of the US, consisting of the states of Washington, Oregon, and sometimes Idaho

3. (in Canada) the region north and west of the Great Lakes

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Other Word Forms

• northwestern adjective
• northwesternmost adjective

Etymology

Origin of northwest

before 900; Middle English, Old English; see north, west

Example Sentences

He didn’t explain the nature of the dispute in Shreveport, a city in northwest Louisiana near the Texas border.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

Ahmad, his wife, and his two daughters eventually settled in uptown Oklahoma City, four miles northwest of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2026

Her group opposes the state’s plan to build the proposed Sites Reservoir northwest of Sacramento, and has argued with the project’s supporters over conflicting emissions estimates.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

The most notable gatherings took place in the capital Tehran, where strikes have ceased since a fragile ceasefire came into effect on Tuesday night, as well as the northwest city of Urmia and northeast Gorgan.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

His voice was as cold as the northwest wind.”

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord